I am looking for fictional pulp action stories in an Appalachian setting. Submitted stories should harken back to the square-jawed tales of Robert E. Howard, Dashiell Hammett, and Louis L'Amour. Stories can be set in any time period, but must take place in the Appalachian region.

Stories involving mountain men, moonshine runners, lawmen, heists, wrestling, soldiers, and outlaws are highly encouraged. Addition of regional history and folklore is also advised. Complex characters should be equally mixed with solid plots and high octane excitement. Submissions should avoid popular action clichés and unflattering Appalachian stereotypes.

Although the anthology is mainly targeted for adults, we DO NOT want stories containing language or content unsuitable for children.

Accepted Manuscript Formatting:
Double-spaced.
Use Times New Roman (12).
Italicize what you want italicized.
Single space after sentence-ending punctuation.
Be sure to include your name, address, and email on your manuscript.

First, thank you for giving writers such a long time to work on and polish their stories for this anthology.

Second, I had question about language. After writing four pages, I realized that someone who’d never lived in or near Appalachia might not know many of the words and expressions in my story. Is it okay to have the characters speaking and thinking authentically, or should I translate my story partly or fully into standard English?

I would recommend that characters sound authentic, but not at the expense of reader comprehension. Sometimes that's a thin line to walk, but I would suggest that you follow your gut and do what you think is best for your story. Personally, I like a little country slang, but I will admit that it can become tiresome if over used.

as somebody who grew up in appalachia, i always tell people not to even try. our accents are so different. our speech patterns are different. and on and on and on. i can take you to a place where you can stand and listen to the local people talk, and i can point out which hollow they're from just by their accents. you want it to sound authentic and not like you're 'trying too hard'.